1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cross bar of a roof carrier for vehicles, and more particularly, a cross bar of a roof carrier for vehicles which constitutes the roof carrier together with side bars so as to load cargo or equipment on a roof of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, recreational vehicles and vans have been widely used for leisure activities. Because of the limited internal space in the vehicles, a variety of cargo or leisure equipment is loaded on the roof thereof. To this end, a roof carrier is mounted on the roof of a vehicle.
The roof carrier for vehicles includes side bars which are provided on both sides of the roof in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, and cross bars which are transversely mounted between the side bars. The cross bars are secured to the side bars so as to hold cargo at a predetermined position. When it is required to change the position of each cross bar, it is necessary to release the cross bar from the side bars. Thus, the roof carrier is constructed so that a passenger adjusts the position of the cross bar to be appropriate to the size or length of cargo, and secures the cross bar at the adjusted position between the side bars.
In a conventional roof carrier for vehicles, side bars are mounted to both sides of a roof of a vehicle in such a way as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and cross bars are installed between the side bars. Brackets are coupled to opposite ends of each cross bar, and locking pins protrude out from the corresponding brackets. A plurality of pin insert holes is formed in the inner surfaces of the side bars at regular intervals such that the corresponding locking pins are inserted into the pin insert holes. The locking pins of the cross bar are ejected or retracted to be locked to or released from associated pin insert holes. Thus, after the locking pins are retracted into the brackets, the position of the cross bar is adjusted. Thereafter, the locking pins are ejected, thus securing the cross bar at the adjusted position. Of course, the cross bar slides along rails which are provided on the inner surfaces of the side bars.
The locking pins comprise a left locking pin and a right locking pin. The cross bar has on opposite ends thereof the brackets, and cam-type levers are provided in respective brackets, and the locking pins are installed in the corresponding brackets. Here, the left lever is connected to the right locking pin via a first wire, while the right lever is connected to the left locking pin via a second wire. The left lever is a cam which is fastened via a hinge shaft. When the left lever is pulled, the left locking pin is pulled by the movement of the cam, so that the left locking pin is retracted from an associated pin insert hole. At this time, the right locking pin is also pulled by the first wire to be retracted from an associated pin insert hole. That is, by pulling only the left lever, both the locking pins are pulled towards the cross bar, so that the locking pins are released from the side bars. Even when the right lever is pulled, the cross bar is operated in the same manner. Further, the two wires are connected at the centers thereof to each other via a spring, thus maintaining the tension and restoring force of the wires.
However, the conventional cross bar of the roof carrier for vehicles is problematic in that the plurality of wires, the spring, and the levers are used, so that the construction of the cross bar is complicated, and the manufacturing cost is high. Further, after the wires have been used for a lengthy period of time, the durability of a product is reduced due to the deterioration of the wires.
Further, the conventional cross bar of the roof carrier for vehicles is problematic in that each lever comprises a cam, so that the cross bar cannot be operated smoothly. Furthermore, each bracket does not completely cover a cam part of the corresponding lever, and thus the durability of parts in the bracket is low.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.